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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24174901">I Run to You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoxoHoran/pseuds/xoxoHoran'>xoxoHoran</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>will and angie explore the unknown [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Single Parents (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Post Season 2 Finale, snowflake candle, what happens next</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:35:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24174901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoxoHoran/pseuds/xoxoHoran</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I think I might be falling in love with you."</p><p>post-"no. wait. what? hold on."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Angie D'Amato &amp; Douglas Fogerty, Douglas Fogerty &amp; Will Cooper, Miggy &amp; Will Cooper, Poppy Banks &amp; Angie D'Amato, Poppy Banks &amp; Will Cooper, Will Cooper/Angie D'Amato</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>will and angie explore the unknown [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi guys!</p><p>Beware, this contains spoilers if you haven't seen the season two finale!<br/>Also, I don't own the characters, but if I did, I think the next few episodes of the show would continue something like this!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> I'm fifteen for a moment </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Caught in between ten and twenty </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And I'm just dreaming </em>
</p><p>Though he knows Poppy and Douglas are judging him, Will can’t help listening to the familiar words, his mind echoing with Derek’s <em> gratitude </em> and Angie’s <em> “don’t forget to miss me” </em> (as if he could ever forget to miss her; he was pretty sure missing her would be the only thing he did during the summer). </p><p>As he folds the sleeping bag, attempting to clean Angie’s living room (he’s not necessarily sure why, given the fact that there will be <em> four </em> sub-letters around to make a bigger mess than he and Angie had), he is aware of the fact that Rory is watching him with something akin to sympathy (whether it’s for the situation he’s found himself in or the fact that he feels Will is toe-ing the edge of pathetic, he doesn’t want to guess) and the twins are groaning about how <em> old </em>their parents are. </p><p>Douglas has begun opening some of Angie’s mail, knowing that at least some of it is likely bills that she has neglected to pay (Will is aware that Douglas will pay them for her, even though the latter will later deny it) and Miggy is recreating Angie’s rubber band ball (he said something about it <em> not being the same </em> and, while Will wants to say that nothing will be the same without Angie, he instead continues cleaning and singing).</p><p>Poppy, perhaps the only other person who is willing to admit they will miss Angie as much as Will is going to, is helping coordinate things with the four <em> hot </em> sub-letters, making sure that everyone knows the boundaries in the D'Amato house (Will saw Douglas cringe when Poppy volunteered to speak with the men <em> alone </em>, but the older man didn’t do anything to stop it, so Will just decided to let it happen)(when did he become the guy who just ‘let things happen,’ anyway?).</p><p>Before he has the opportunity to lose himself to the self-deprecating thoughts that are bound to follow that question, a knock brings him out of his thoughts (he wonders if Angie has invited another sub-letter and mentally wonders how many spare air-mattresses he has at his house that he can loan to the cause). </p><p>With a confident nod and a quick glance around the room to allow himself the opportunity to think how he will set up all four of the mattresses (someone will be sleeping in Graham’s bed, because he doubts there are any other options), he heads towards the door, forcing a happy smile on his face as he prepares himself to see <em> another </em> hot twenty-something with their bags packed, ready to move into the D’Amato house.</p><p>What he doesn’t expect to see is a hot thirty-something Angie D’Amato, looking rather anxious and holding a white candle in a vice grip, rocking slightly on her heels as she carefully avoids making any form of eye contact with him. Behind her, Derek is leaning against his new blue Honda, looking a little out of place, a slight smile on his face (he nods in Will’s direction, but the latter is too confused about the situation to respond in kind). </p><p>“Ange, did you forget-”</p><p>“Poppy packed me this candle and it just-” </p><p>The tension feels thick around them and, though he isn’t looking behind him, he can only assume that Douglas, Poppy, Miggy, and Rory have taken their places out of view, but within earshot of the conversation that is about to unfold (in the corner of his eye, he can see the twins making their way towards Derek, undoubtedly demanding the twenty dollars he shorted them earlier for their services).</p><p>He doesn’t know what to say: he’s <em> Will Cooper </em> and he’s suddenly speechless for possibly the first time ever. Not even any weather facts are coming to mind. It’s as if someone turned the lights off in his brain; all he knows is that Angie has returned from her trip to Barstow and is standing in front of him with a white candle that is clearly one of the ones they lit the night before (it smells weirdly like Christmas and a gas station, though he hasn’t gotten a close enough whiff to guess which flavor).</p><p>He doesn’t know what to say. Should he ask her about the candle? Should he mention that she’s back a few months earlier than expected? Should he ask her to stay (though they haven’t said it, it’s clear that Douglas and Poppy both seem to think the answer to this one is <em> yes </em>)?</p><p>What is going on?</p><hr/><p>
  <em> Counting the ways to where you are </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I'm twenty two for a moment </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She feels better than ever </em>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>“I think I’m falling in love with you.”</em> </b>
</p><p>Angie’s eyes widen as the memory comes back to her, instantly drawing the candle away from her nose and looking anxiously over at her travel companion. Derek, who admittedly is not that much better at driving than he was when they were younger, is happily singing along to the radio, swerving slightly on the road as they head towards Barstow, unaware of the conflicting feelings she’s been battling since she woke up with Will.</p><p>“Stop.”</p><p>If possible, her brown eyes widen even more as she hears her own voice bark the command, unable to believe that she’s actually made the command. She brings the candle to her nose once more, as if reassuring herself that she’s making the right decision, before finally making eye contact with her former flame (she knows that Derek is not as oblivious as she had thought he was when his eyes flicker between her and the radio, as if he understands the importance of the song that’s playing).</p><p>“Listen, Ange-”</p><p>“Derek,” she cuts him off quickly, knowing that if he continues saying something about how they’re only a little ways outside of Barstow and <em> ‘maybe you’ll fall in love with it,’ </em> she might actually throw up (which is something they both don’t want: this is his new car, after all). “I think we’re making a mistake.”</p><p>Her eyes quickly flicker towards the candle, which she brings to her nose once more, allowing herself to remember what it had felt like to fall asleep with Will on her living room floor, surrounded by complete bliss. </p><p>“Angie, I get that you might think that, but-”</p><p>“What would I even do in Barstow, Derek? You would have to work and I would just spend my days with Phoebe? How would this work? We didn’t think this through.” </p><p>She’s rambling, a nervous tendency Poppy tried to help her kick on multiple occasions, and, as she makes excuses for why their summer wouldn’t work out as well as they had both planned, she purposely ignores the reason main reason she’s calling off their summer: one look in Derek’s direction suggests that they are both aware that it’s her building feelings for her best friend that have changed her mind (she notices that, while Derek looks somewhat disappointed as he turns the car around, he doesn’t look as surprised as she had thought he would be).</p><p>“You’re right.” Derek’s voice is soft and, though Angie had once wanted to hurt Derek as much as he had hurt her in the past, they have since moved past that and she feels guilty for changing her mind like this. </p><p>Suddenly her mind begins to race with how awkward things are going to be between the two of them and how they will have to overcome this for Graham’s sake when he returns from space camp (thankfully, she hadn’t told <em> him </em> about her summer plans, because she knows he would be disappointed with her: she isn’t necessarily sure which part he would be upset about, but she can already picture her son’s disapproving stare). <b>Graham!</b> What would she tell him about Will, if they were to make things work this summer? They would obviously have to tell Graham and Sophie, but what would they-</p><p>“Will’s a great guy,” Derek adds, bringing Angie away from her thoughts and shooting her a slight smile. She nods slightly in response, smelling the candle once more and taking a deep breath: she can handle all of the other details later, what matters now is what she’s going to say when she gets home.</p><p>“I’m really sorry about-” Angie gestures to their surroundings, all of her black trash bags loosely packed into his car, before shooting his a small smile (she doesn’t say it, but it reminds her slightly of their time living on the tour bus: she had packed all her belongings in trash bags then, too).</p><p>Derek waves her off slightly, shrugging as he shoots her a small smile in return, before informing her that she needs to lend him twenty dollars to give to the twins, knowing that they will demand it upon their return. Angie quickly locates her wallet within the trash bags and hands him a couple of bills, telling herself that it would be appropriate to reimburse him for the trouble he’s gone through for her (he’s made this trip back-and-forth from Barstow numerous times, just for her to change her mind). </p><p>They listen to the song on repeat as they make their return to the D’Amato house, with Angie continuously sniffling the candle in her clutch and imagining the way things might turn out for between her and Will (she’s beyond nervous, but she can’t stop thinking about his heart-felt slideshow and the fact that he told her to go to Barstow, even though he was falling in love with her).</p><hr/><p>
  <em> I'm thirty three for a moment </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Still the man, but you see I'm of age </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A kid on the way </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A family on my mind </em>
</p><p>She’s a ball of nerves standing on her own doorstep (she feels ridiculous as she finds herself knocking on the door, but Derek had informed her that it would be the right thing to do, given the fact that she could be interrupting something between her sub-letters)(she doubts this, given they are all hot <em> straight </em> men, but she does it anyway because he’s watching her and he’s been pretty cool about the entire situation).</p><p>Of course, Will is the one to answer the door, sleeping bag in hand, “100 Years” playing softly in the background (she wonders if Will is obsessed with the song or if he’s playing it because it reminds him of her or if-).</p><p>“Ange, did you forget-”</p><p>“Poppy packed me this candle and it just-” </p><p>Behind Will, she can see Rory peeking around the bathroom door, clearly trying to get a visual of the situation, and Angie feels somewhat stuck (this is a private conversation, but she can’t take him outside closer to Derek and bringing him further inside would subject them to even closer scrutiny from the rest of their friends). </p><p>“I, um- I came back from Barstow.” Her voice is a soft mumble, and she has to strain to hear it, but she continues, knowing that Will has likely heard her. “Well, actually, we didn’t make it all the way to Barstow, obviously, I was only gone for a couple of hours and you know that it takes four to make the round trip. Actually, more than four because Derek and I stopped at a Ratso’s somewhere on the way, and might I say that they did, in fact, have ketchup, which I thought was-”</p><p>Behind Will, Poppy has made herself visible and is making the cut sign very clearly, while Douglas (who is standing closer to Poppy than usual, given <em> their </em> relationship status) is shaking his head slightly. Will, however, seems to be frozen, not reacting to anything she’s been saying (she doesn’t necessarily blame him, given the fact that she’s been talking a mile a minute about a journey she had planned to make with her ex-boyfriend).</p><p>“Hey Ange, I’m going to head out, but I unloaded your stuff on your driveway,” Derek calls, causing Angie to turn towards him, waving a slight goodbye (she knows it’s nothing <em> too </em> personal, given the situation, but rather it has to do with the fact that Phoebe has never been left alone for so long and it’s been making Derek <em> nervous as hell </em>). </p><p>His departure seems to bring Will back into reality, as he shakes his head slightly, clearly still trying to process the situation (admittedly, Angie is still clutching the candle close to her, as if it holds all of the answers to her problems).</p><p>“You’re back.” His voice is soft and he looks confused, a mixture of emotions swirling in his green eyes (Will has always prided himself in being an open book and, though they never said it, both knew Angie read him better than their other friends).</p><p>“Yeah, you know, I got to thinking on the way to Barstow, and it just wouldn’t make sense for me to spend the summer there. I mean, what would I even be doing there? Would Derek make me temporary Fatso, because I would not want to do that? And, he has responsibilities in Barstow that he can’t just neglect because of me, he needs to provide for Phoebe and-”</p><p>“You’re back.” Will repeats, swiftly cutting her off as he continues to stare at her, as if trying to piece together what her return might mean (she knows that she should stop talking about her trip and start talking about the feelings they haven’t addressed, but she’s scared and waiting for him to go first: maybe they could watch the slide show again).</p><p>“I don’t even like turtles, so I don’t know why I thought Phoebe and I would get along, and I wouldn’t even want to get a job in Barstow, because I obviously wouldn’t just move there <em> permanently </em> and-”</p><p>“You know what, I think maybe it’s time for us to leave,” Poppy states, shooting Angie a look that clearly states she should stop talking, before dragging an unhappy-looking Rory towards the door. She hugs Angie lightly on the way out (whispering for the younger woman to call her later) before making a quick exit, knowing that the two friends need their space to sort through their situation.</p><p>“Miggy, I think that’s our cue, as well,” Douglas announces in a somewhat overly-theatrical way that makes Will roll his eyes. Will can see that the twins are already waiting by Douglas’s car and Miggy, who is following reluctantly behind Douglas, is still putting Angie’s rubber band ball back together, promising to have it completed the next time they see one another.</p><p>As soon as Douglas’s car has turned off Angie’s street, the house falls into silence once more; the silence borders between being comfortable and awkward, Angie fiddling with her fingers while Will looks over her shoulders at the trees blowing slightly in the distance.</p><p>“Do you need help getting everything in here?” Will asks as he notices the various trash bags sitting on the driveway. Angie turns to look at her poorly packed belongings, taking a moment to wonder if this was Poppy’s intent all along, before turning back towards her friend, shaking her head slightly before gesturing toward Graham’s room.</p><p>“Actually, I was hoping you might tell the sub-letters that they can’t stay here, after all,” Angie replies with a slight smile, turning toward the driveway as Will braces himself to break the news to the four men (he doesn’t feel prepared, mentally or emotionally, to deliver the news, but he does it anyway because it means that Angie is officially staying home for the summer).</p><hr/><p>
  <em>  Fifteen I'm all right with you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Fifteen, there's never a wish better than this </em>
</p><p>
  <em> When you only got hundred years to live </em>
</p><p>“I think everything is back in its place,” Will announces as he disposes of the last garbage bag, having easily placed Angie’s belongings back where he knows she keeps them (he silently wonders how he knows her house like the back of his hand, before dismissing the thought quickly).</p><p>“Thank God and thank you for getting those hot idiots out of my house,” Angie says as she allows herself to fall onto her couch. Admittedly, she probably should have had some sort of screening process for her sub-letting process, considering a few of them were a little <em> too </em>attached to the house (she secretly thought at least one of them had the potential of being a pedophile, considering how much they like Graham’s stuff).</p><p>“Of course, I still can’t believe you decided to stay, after all,” Will comments as he makes his way toward the couch, realizing a second too late what he’s just admitted, his cheeks flushing slightly.</p><p>“Right, we should probably talk about that, right?” Angie questions, patting the space beside her on the couch, as if unsure if Will will want to be anywhere near her during the conversation. They’ve both avoided discussing the slideshow and the reason she’s back (he doesn’t completely buy the whole ‘not bonding with Phoebe’ thing), though they both know that they are two topics that need to be addressed.</p><p>“Yeah,” Will agrees easily as he takes his place on the couch next to her, hesitant to make any form of eye contact.</p><p>“Have you smelled this candle?” Angie blurts out, thrusting the white candle she’s been holding toward him, her eyes trained carefully on him, trying to see if he has any reaction toward the smell. </p><p>“Did we light it last night? It smells vaguely familiar.” He sniffs the candle again (his conscious is mumbling something about ‘wafting,’ but he’s too nervous to care).</p><p>“This morning, Poppy told me that lighting the candles we had lit last night might help me remember what had happened, and she was right. This candle was the last one I blew out last night and, when I smelled it this morning, I was reminded of the fact that it was I who cuddled you.”</p><p>Angie pauses for a moment, once more trying to gauge Will’s reaction, while also debating whether she should continue. Part of her thinks it would be a good idea to get everything out in the open, so they can make their decisions with all of their cards on the table, while the other part of her thinks that if she mentions his quasi-love confession and he denies it, they will likely never recover.</p><p>“Oh.” Will’s mind races with what the cuddling might mean and if he should bring up the slideshow and his conversations with both Poppy and Derek (he hesitates about the latter, wondering if bringing up the fact that he’s potentially splitting up a family might make her change her mind).</p><p>“When I smelled it in the car, on the way to Barstow, it reminded me of that, but of something else, too.” She takes a deep breath and sets the candle between them before making eye contact, her voice wavering as she states, “last night, after I had forced myself onto you, you said that you thought you might be falling in love with me.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know I have a few other stories right now, but I just watched the finale and couldn't help myself!</p><p>Once more, I'm a slow updater (and in the thick of finals), but I will do my best to update frequently as possible.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>She kisses him quickly and softly, so brief that he feels as if he might’ve imagined it. It’s hesitant and, when he meets her gaze, he notices the way she’s looking at him as if he’s said something right (he hadn’t been aware there were wrong answers in this situation).</p><p>Poppy and Douglas help Angie and Will with the whole 'friends dating friends' thing.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Oh, wow, that’s-” He’s at a loss for words, wondering if he should deny the sentiment or admit that yes, he’s been falling in love with her for a while (possibly for as long as they’ve known one another) and that he had wanted to tell her after his <em> phenomenal </em> slide show presentation (after watching it, he realizes that maybe Poppy had been right, maybe the situation called for something a little more <em> romantic </em> or, if nothing else, something more personal).</p><p>“-and I guess, I just thought, maybe it was true,” She looks so nervous as she meets his gaze and he feels a little better knowing that she has something invested in this conversation, too (it confirms Poppy’s suspicions about Angie’s feelings if nothing else).</p><p>His hands shake slightly as he reaches for the candle, taking another whiff in hopes to calm some of his nerves (it doesn’t work, not even a little bit). </p><p>“It, uh- it is true.” His voice is soft and he knows that he looks (and feels) more vulnerable than he’s ever felt before (and as Will Cooper, the guy who constantly allows himself to be vulnerable, that’s saying something). “When I made your slide show and the last slide instructed you to turn around so I could tell you something, I wasn’t going to say ‘good luck in Barstow,’ I was going to tell you that I have feelings for you.”</p><p>Angie nods slightly, as if he’s confirming something she had previously suspected (he wouldn’t doubt it, given how awkwardly he had handled the situation): she had looked hopeful after watching the slideshow and dubious when he simply wished her well (he also thought she looked a little disappointed, though he told himself that he was simply hallucinating). </p><p>He wonders if he should add something else, maybe about how he always thought Tracy was a little suspicious of their friendship or about how, when his parents thought they were dating, he (for a second) let himself think about it and found himself more invested than he was in his relationship with Tracy (maybe not that one, because it makes him sound like a <em> bad boyfriend </em>, which is not what he wants her to think).</p><p>“So why didn’t you?” Angie asks before Will has the chance to ramble about the extent of his feelings (honestly, she’s probably saved them quite a bit of time, seeing as Will likely would have back-tracked multiple times in his explanations).</p><p>“Obviously I was going to when I made the slideshow, but then Derek told me that I was a great guy for not acting on my feelings and letting you guys have a chance to be with Graham and I-”</p><p>She kisses him quickly and softly, so brief that he feels as if he might’ve imagined it. It’s hesitant and, when he meets her gaze, he notices the way she’s looking at him as if he’s said something <em> right </em> (he hadn’t been aware there were <em> wrong </em> answers in this situation).</p><p>“Thank you,” She says softly, a slight, uncharacteristic blush covering her cheeks: Will grins are her reaction before leaning toward her again, kissing her sweetly.</p><hr/><p>“So, are you guys dating?” Poppy asks, leaning toward her best friend, wine glass in hand as she sits on Angie’s couch, having dropped Rory off at Douglas’s before making her way over to hear the latest update (she had promised to keep Douglas informed, which they agreed would save them both trouble, seeing as Douglas wasn’t in the mood to hear whatever wildly romantic idealization of the situation Will Cooper had likely come up with).</p><p>“I wouldn’t say dating-” Angie’s voice trails off as she looks toward her snowflake candle, before back toward her stash of living room wine, both of which are responsible for the situation she is currently in (you know, the situation where she has feelings for her best friend but isn’t quite ready to do anything serious about them).</p><p>Poppy rolls her eyes at the younger woman, having seen her best friend repeat the same tactics multiple times (like when Owen had been in love with her and she hadn’t been able to say it back). Though she may seem confident and in control, Poppy has learned that Angie does not do well with relationships, especially ones with promising futures (she doesn’t count the whole <em> Colin </em> thing as anything more than a simple flirtation).</p><p>“It’s just that we both have kids to think about and things are complicated right now.” Angie’s voice sounds dangerously close to a whine and even she cringes when she hears herself, something she is a little embarrassed to admit (if asked, she would willingly and quickly blame it all on the wine).</p><p>“Oh please, your kids are best friends and I’m pretty sure Sophie already loves you, anyways.” Poppy retorts quickly, before Angie even has a chance to process whatever insecurities she’s accidentally let slip (she hadn’t thought she had mentioned any, but then she started second-guessing herself).  “Didn’t she play that weird apple game for you?”</p><p>“Okay, first off, we both got stuck playing that game and it was terrible,” Angie declares, scoffing slightly as she remembers just how boring Colin’s son had been and how long the whole ‘orchid’ thing had taken. “Also, bringing that up doesn’t really mean anything because, if anything, it further emphasizes the point that she sees me as her dad’s <em> friend </em> more than anything else. I don’t know if you know this, but it’s super easy to mess up kids, especially as young as ours are.”</p><p>It’s Poppy’s turn to scoff as drunk Angie begins to make an appearance (hadn’t she sworn only a few days before that she would not be getting drunk anymore on days that weren’t the holidays, the weekend, Mondays, or her birthday?), contemplating either taking the wine bottle away from her friend or simply letting her go on whatever drunk ramble she has likely already begun to prepare.</p><p>“-Besides, I’m a terrible influence on Sophie, don’t you remember when she stole from the grocery store?”</p><p>Oh yes, Poppy did remember the situation with Sophie, when Angie caught her ‘sampling’ stolen items from the grocery store. Will had spent hours panicking and squeezing Angie’s arm in a vice grip, only for her to relent and tell him that hair dye washed out if the person wearing it took a shower within 24 hours of application (Poppy wasn’t sure if Angie learned that from experience or from <em> Legally Blonde </em>, but it was the truth either way).</p><p>“To your defense, it’s not as if Will did any better with the whole ‘sex talk’ situation,” Poppy states, cringing afterward when she realizes that she hasn’t helped her case (she was <em> too </em> used to trying to encourage Angie that she wasn’t making a mistake that she forgot her goal was supposed to be spearheading the whole <em> Angie and Will </em> fan club). </p><p>“Good, let’s bring Graham back into this, too! He’s definitely going to ask about Derek when he gets back: he didn’t know about the whole Barstow thing, but he does genuinely like the guy! It’s not like I can just separate them and pray they forget one another,” Angie rambles, her eyes sparkling as she comes to another realization. </p><p>Admittedly, Poppy relents that this argument is actually a valid one (she remembers how the whole situation went down between Sophie and Angie and had thought it was sweet that the younger girl looked up to her, in a way), but this concern was something different. Graham and Derek had only met less than six months ago and Poppy knew more than anyone that Graham loved spending time with his father (Will had helped him make a slideshow of all the pictures they had taken together around LA with his Lego creation).</p><p>“And, Graham looks up to Will! He thinks he’s a ‘mighty oak’ and he genuinely likes him!” Angie continues, gaining momentum as she rambles as if she’s suddenly found direction. </p><p>“Listen, before you spiral too far, let me just make this suggestion: you and Will spend <em> a lot </em>of time together already. You have a few kid-free months, in which you can explore things without the pressure of your kids being around, and afterward, when they return, you can start thinking about the boundaries you will set for your relationship then. It’s all about taking little steps, you don’t need to do anything drastic at the beginning.”</p><hr/><p>“-we were just so caught in the moment, I just wasn’t thinking about what would happen next-” </p><p>Douglas sends a scathing glare in Miggy’s direction as Will continues to ramble and pace back and forth in front of his flat-screen television, blocking his view of <em> Citizen Kane </em> . He and Poppy had agreed that he would watch the kids and she would find out what happened between Will and Angie (he didn’t care <em> that much </em>, but Poppy seemed invested and he liked spending time with her that wasn’t charged with the tension surrounding their past relationship).</p><p>“-Sophie hated Tracy and wasn’t a huge fan of Dr. Dewan: who’s to say she’d even like the idea of me and Angie being anything more than platonic friends who are raising children together- wait, not together, but like in similar situations. Well, I guess I wouldn’t say that the situations are that similar, but-”</p><p>He hadn’t stopped for more than five seconds in the thirty minutes he had been at the Fogerty household, clearly wound up about the situation, and looking for someone to talk with. Douglas felt as if he was in his own personal hell: feelings were undoubtedly his least favorite topic (up there with the ‘Real Housewives’ franchise and whatever weather might be looming in the area, for the simple reason that they always seemed to get Will overly excited).</p><p>Shooting another glare in Miggy’s direction, he sighed as he stood from his place on the end of the sofa and made his way toward the wet bar, settling for a glass of whiskey to help him forget about <em> this </em>.</p><p>Miggy, on the other hand, was currently perched on the edge of the expensive white sectional in the living room, clearly hanging onto every word Will was saying, looking hypnotized by the story. He was nodding along easily with Will’s statements and, honestly, Douglas was afraid that if Will stopped talking for more than a few seconds, Miggy would start firing questions about the situation.</p><p>“-would we spend the holidays at her house or mine? Because Sophie and I have long-standing traditions that she and Graham don’t necessarily fit into, and I know-”</p><p>“You guys haven’t even gone on a date.” Douglas interrupted him, refraining from rolling his eyes as he took another sip of his drink, sitting back down on the couch, and shooting another glare in Miggy’s direction as if challenging him to contradict anything he was about to say. “Will, I think you’re putting the cart before the horse on this one: you don’t even know how things would work between the two of you as a couple and you’re already contemplating how you would spend holidays? Also, as a side note, didn’t you guys spend Christmas together this past year at Lake Arrowhead, tracking down snow?”</p><p>Douglas is rewarded with a moment of silence as Will stares at him, clearly trying to comprehend what he has just said, and Miggy continuously opens and closes his mouth, as if he has the perfect retort on the tip of his tongue, but he keeps forgetting it when he goes to say it (God Douglas needs to find different friends).</p><p>“It just feels like there’s a lot on the line, here.” Will’s voice is soft and vulnerable, a sharp juxtaposition to the loud and semi-confident rambling he had been doing earlier. Douglas shudders slightly when he realizes that there is absolutely no way he’s going to avoid discussing feelings <em> now </em>, patting a cushion beside him on the couch for Will to sit as he composes his thoughts (aka: thinks about what Poppy might say in the situation).</p><p>“Listen Will, I know that’s it’s a hard decision, dating your best friend,” Douglas starts, doing a quick sweep of the room to ensure that the kids are still hiding away in the shed (they’ve decided to let Rory help decorate) before continuing.</p><p> “It’s scary and there are so many things that can go wrong and honestly, it feels like every decision is ten times harder than it needs to be. That’s how you know you’re doing the right thing by at least taking a chance. Things seem more important because you find yourself caring more about the decisions you’re making. The fact is, even if you don’t pursue them, you’re still going to have feelings for Angie and the relationship the two of you have will undoubtedly change. But, at least if you decide to at least try with Angie, you both can make those changes together and grow together.”</p><p>From the corner of his eye, he can see Miggy getting a little misty-eyed and it makes him more uncomfortable than he’d like to admit. Will fidgets slightly on the couch before nodding, mumbling a quick thanks, and rushing out the door; Douglas gestures for Miggy to do the same as he pours himself another glass of whiskey and allows his thoughts to stray back to Poppy (realistically, they hadn’t left her since the day they first kissed, but he didn’t like admitting that).</p><hr/><p>It’s a couple of days later when Will turns up at her doorstep at the prime time of 6:30 a.m., looking chipper than ever, that Angie finds herself thinking about what Poppy had said about taking small steps towards a relationship.</p><p>She’s dressed in her pajamas and an old sweatshirt she had found lying in a pile in her closet (she doesn’t think it’s hers, but it was too early to really question it), her hair sticking out in twenty different directions as she stifles a yawn. </p><p>Will, on the other hand, is dressed in his usual dark jeans and a sweater, with the leather jacket she knows he bought in honor of his style icon, <em> Colin </em>: a tube of orange glaze cinnamon rolls in one hand and a cup of couple of cups of coffee from the place around the corner in his other. He looks hopeful (though it’s just the look she associates with Will, at this point) and she quickly gestures him in without thinking, not wanting her neighbors to see her in her pajamas (though she doubts any of them would recognize her, especially this early in the morning, given the fact that she tends to avoid being awake this early on a Saturday morning).</p><p>“To what do I owe the pleasure, Cooper?” Angie is unable to contain the yawn mingles with the end of her sentence, but she is impressed with her ability to form <em> any </em>kind of sentences at the early morning hour. </p><p>Will hesitates, questioning whether he should’ve waited for it to be a more decent hour, before shaking his head and making his way toward the kitchen, pulling out a baking sheet from the cupboard and easily setting her oven to 400 degrees. </p><p>“I was just in the neighborhood, thought I’d swing by and see my good pal, D’Amato.” Will internally cringes when he says the word pal, but he watches as Angie rubs sleep from her eyes, clearly not reacting to his use of the word (she probably hasn’t heard him, he assures himself). </p><p>“At 6:30? You were just in the neighborhood at 6:30 and thought ‘oh yeah, I know Angie is an absolute monster in the morning, so I should swing by and wake her up so I can experience it first hand.’ Solid idea.” Though her voice is tainted with sarcasm, it is clearly due to sleep deprivation, so Will decides not to take anything she says <em> too </em>personally.</p><p>“Yeah, well I was actually thinking of stopping by last night, but then I totally lost my nerve, so I thought I would stop by this morning.” He doesn’t know what possesses him to be so honest about the situation, but he shrugs as if he hasn’t just suggested that he wants to discuss something important (aka: their relationship), watching as Angie runs another hand through her hair in attempts to flatten it.</p><p>“Okay, I guess that tracks.” She suddenly feels a little more self-conscious about the way she looks, resisting the urge to ask for a spoon or her toaster to check her reflection, knowing that whatever Will came to say, it’s going to be <em> big </em>. “I would offer you something to eat or drink, but I haven’t made it to the grocery store since I emptied my fridge in preparations for the whole Barstow thing and, well, you obviously brought both with you.”</p><p>Angie gestures to Will’s ‘peace offering’ and he quickly slides a cup of coffee in her direction, warning himself not to take another sip from his own (he had three cups of cold brew before he even <em> thought </em> about coming over this morning: he’s a little jittery, to say the least).</p><p>“I came over this morning, because I was talking with Douglas and he said that making decisions is only scary when they’re important.” Will blurts out, his voice louder than he had intended it to be, given the fact that he’s clearly woken Angie up (she cringes slightly at his volume, but looks a little confused when he mentions Douglas and <em> feelings </em> in the same sentence).</p><p>“Why were you talking with Douglas?” Angie already knows the answer, but she wants to hear him say it: she isn’t sure if it’s because she just can’t believe it or if it’s because he woke her up and she feels he deserves some form of punishment, but she finds a small amount of pleasure watching him squirm slightly, fidgeting with his hands before he meets her gaze.</p><p>“I guess- things are changing between us, you know, and I guess I was just a little nervous about everything,” Will admits, his cheeks tinting a light pink as he hesitantly searches her eyes for any indication of how she’s taking his latest confession (she hadn’t really said anything about his “I think I may be falling in love with you”).</p><p>“That makes sense,” Angie nods, her eyes closing slightly, though they open after a brief second. It’s during that brief second that Will berates himself for coming over so early and questions, again, if he should just leave and come back later when they’re both awake and ready to have this conversation (he stops himself from doing it, because he knows that they probably will just keep avoiding it if he leaves). “Poppy said we should just take little steps, ya know?”</p><p>“Oh, did she?” Will is grinning as he makes his way toward her, stepping away from the preheating oven to wrap an arm loosely around her small frame. Angie wraps her arms around him and rests her cheek on his chest as she nods slightly, her eyes closing once more as she allows herself to adjust to the comfort Will provides. </p><p>They stand wrapped together in front of her kitchen counter for a while, long after the coffee has gone cold and the oven has preheated, just enjoying one another’s embrace as Will rests his own head on top of hers.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I am actually still writing exams, but I needed a break and found a little inspiration when I re-watched 'a place where men can be men' (additionally, I thought maybe a couple of references wouldn't hurt).</p><p>There might be another chapter, but I'm not sure. I kind of like where this ends. Let me know what you guys think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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